Academic Requirements

• Master of Science

Applicants must hold a B.Sc. degree (or equivalent) from a recognized institution and are expected to have attained a high academic standing equivalent to or better than theÌýCGPA of 3.2Ìýat ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ. To find information about degree requirements for international students, please go toÌýInternational Degree Equivalency.

Applicants should have a solid educational background in the areas of physical and biological sciences. This background need not include a heavy concentration in microbiology and immunology, as appropriate courses may be taken in this Department during graduate residence. Although it is convenient to have applicants trained in microbiology prior to their arrival, it is recognized that students educated in other institutional programs with widely differing contents may add strength to our own graduate program.

• Doctor of Philosophy

Students who have satisfactorily completed a M.Sc. degree in microbiology and immunology, a biological science, or biochemistry, or highly qualified students enrolled in the departmental M.Sc. program, may be accepted into the Ph.D. program, provided they meet its standards (a high academic standing equivalent to or better than theÌýCGPA of 3.2Ìýat ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ).

Required Documents

Application documents must be uploaded on , the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ online system for graduate admissions.

For Instructions, please visit: www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply/submitting-your-documents

• Two letters of reference
  On the online application form you must provide the names and email addresses of at least two professors who are familiar with your academic work. ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ will contact these referees and invite them to upload references on your behalf. Letters must be from academic or other professional employers who can evaluate your potential for graduate study and/or speak knowledgeably about your accomplishments. Applicants must provide a valid institutional e-mail address for each referee.
  Note: For MIMM Honours students, one of the two reference letters required can come from the prospective supervisor (in addition to the MIMM supervisor confirmation form).
• Transcripts
  Transcripts from all the university-level institutions attended to date. Uploaded copies are considered unofficial transcripts. If you receive an offer of admission, official copies of all your transcripts will be required. Transcripts in languages other than English or French must be accompanied by English or French translation provided by the institution issuing the transcript or by a certified translator.
• The Supervisor Confirmation Form
  As part of the admission process, applicants must secure their own research supervisor from among the faculty members in the Department. You may find information about our academic staff on the Faculty Members and Associate Members pages on the MIMM Department website. As per ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ policies and guidelines on graduate student advising and supervision, adjunct members may not act as sole supervisors but may serve as co-supervisors, with the unit's and GPS approval. After approval, a letter of agreement, signed by the co-supervisors and the supervisee, must be submitted to GPS. If problems arise, the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ supervisor will be held accountable to ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ policies and regulations. Note that the Graduate Program Director may serve as co-supervisor if needed.
  Applicants must carefully review the research interests of individual faculty members and contact them directly to discuss potential projects. Kindly note that an application will not be considered unless the Supervisor Confirmation Form is fully completed, signed by both the supervisor and the applicant, and uploaded to the supporting documentation section of the applicant's file in Slate.
  How to upload the Supervisor Confirmation Form to your online application:
  • Supervisor(s) should fill out and sign the Supervisor Confirmation Form and send it back to the applicant by email.
  • The applicant must review and sign the form.
  • It is the applicant’s responsibility to upload the form in the application portal.
  • MIMM 2024-2025 | Supervisor Confirmaiton Form
• Proof of proficiency in English
  All international students whose mother tongue is not English are required to submit proof of proficiency in English. For more details on options, requirements, and the list of exemptions visit the English language proficiency webpage. Applicants must ensure that the official test results are sent directly to ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ (Institution code: 0935) by the testing center.
• Curriculum Vitae

The section headers in the CV are provided to guide applicants and to ensure consistent formatting for ease of assessment by evaluators. The ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Committee is aware that not all
applicants may have pertinent information to enter under each of the specific headings set out in the template (such as publications or awards). Applicants who do not have information to enter under a specific heading may remove the section in question (delete empty lines and section header).

CV Template â–º mcgill_cv_application_template.docx

The CV must be uploaded via the online application system by the relevant deadline.

• Personal Statement
  One page long to indicate your interest to the program

Finding a Supervisor

Finding a supervisor might be the most important but challenging part of the admission process. As a graduate student, you will work under a supervisor for the selected program (M.Sc. andÌýPh.D.). The supervisor plays a crucial role in proposing and guiding your research project.

Only Faculty membersÌýandÌýAssociate membersÌýat the Department of Microbiology and Immunology may serve as a supervisor. The list of Professors who are eligible to supervise graduate students can be found at theÌýFaculty MembersÌýandÌýAssociate MembersÌýpages. As per ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ policies and guidelines on graduate student advising and supervision,Ìýadjunct membersÌýmay notÌýact as sole supervisors but may serve as co-supervisors,Ìýwith the unit's and GPS's approval. If problems arise, the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ supervisor will be held accountable to ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ policies and regulations. The Graduate Program Director may serve as co-supervisor if needed.

When looking for a supervisor, start by carefully reading the information on theÌýProfessors’ pages. After that, you should be able to determine who is working in the field that interests you. If you cannot find sufficient information on the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ website, look up some of the Professors' publications. Once you narrow your list down to a couple of researchers,Ìýplease contact them directly by e-mail. In your email, you should specify your experience, educational background and your achievements in a brief Curriculum Vitae. Describe what type of research you would like to do and why you have chosen them for your supervisor. Explain why you would be an excellent addition to the lab and demonstrate which points from your CV prove that you can succeed in an academic environment. You may add your scanned transcript to demonstrate that your grades fulfill the Departmental admission requirements.

Professors receive a high volume of requests, and if you have not received a response, it is likely that they are not currently recruiting graduate students for this term. Please be assured that our spam-protected messaging system is functioning properly, and all emails sent through it are delivered directly to the intended recipients. It is the responsibility of the applicant to identify a potential supervisor and secure their agreement to oversee their graduate research.

Fund Your Studies

All newly admitted graduate students are guaranteed a minimum stipend per year. Departmental and/or external scholarships may supplement and/or contribute to the minimum stipend.ÌýFor more information, visit Financial Support,ÌýGraduate studies fee tablesÌýandÌýCost of AttendanceÌýpages.